SEC title up for grabs between dominant Florida, Alabama

Florida-Alabama SEC Championship

GAINESVILLE -- Every time the Florida Gators' defense forces an early three-and-out, it's just chipping away at an avalanche that's about to collapse on an opponent.

Linebacker Ryan Stamper usually feels the snow around the game's first five minutes after the Gators go up 7-0.

"Since I know how good our defense is, when we score first, in my mind -- I can't say game over, but I feel more comfortable," Stamper said. "When we score again, I'm thinking this is going to be one of those games."

The first quarter of today's Southeastern Conference championship game could be the most important of the college football season as No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Alabama attempt to impose their wills -- correct that, shove their wills through each other's chests.

The winner likely goes to Miami for the Bowl Championship Series national title game against either Texas or Oklahoma from the Big 12.

Both teams like to pounce early and maintain, or even expand, an already-sizable lead.

This feeds each team's pride. Alabama (12-0) thrives off its smash-mouth running game and dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Florida (11-1) revels in its ability to score three touchdowns in seven minutes or less, the Phoenix Suns of college football.

Swagger should fill up Atlanta's Georgia Dome before and after the 4 p.m. kickoff.

"In the locker room right before the game, we have so much balled-up energy and get so hyped that it doesn't matter who we play," Gators cornerback Joe Haden said. "We've got a plan, and we're going to execute it early. Just knowing that this team is in the way of what we're trying to accomplish helps us in the first quarters."

The Gators have trailed 15:38 minutes this season, all against Ole Miss in a 31-30 loss. In the last eight first quarters, the Gators are up 136-3.

Neither team has trailed by more than seven points all year.

Alabama has survived an overtime game with LSU and wins of four and three points against Ole Miss and Kentucky, respectively. Georgia certainly didn't forget walking into the locker room at halftime down 31-0 to the Crimson Tide in late September. A 34-10 season-opening win over Clemson set a precedent for quickfire starts.

Alabama Coach Nick Saban said the key is keeping a 60-minute perspective and managing the highs and lows.

"We've gotten ahead in some games, and teams have come back," Saban said. "You want to start well in everything you do. The most important thing is maintaining a level of consistency throughout the game."

The way Florida's offense is rolling with seven straight games of 42 or more points, scoring early and often has become ritualistic. The Gators average a league-leading 46.3 points per game, more than 14 points higher than second-place Alabama.

This could give Alabama more incentive to create an early lead. No one wants to play catch-up on Florida, especially with a run-heavy team. Though Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson has had a solid year, he isn't asked to air it out often after nine touchdown passes and 1,909 passing yards through 12 games.

The Gators don't blow leads largely because they've turned the ball over only 11 times all year, bettering Alabama's margin by four. Their only loss included five fumbles, three lost.

Whatever happens in the first 15 minutes, Gators defensive line coach Dan McCarney is predicting a close fourth-quarter game.

Alabama simply is in a different class than previous opponents.

"In all likelihood, that will happen this week, especially against a confident team and an undefeated team," McCarney said. "It's about whoever makes the plays when the game's on the line, who makes game-changing plays. Who rises up, who takes care of the ball. If we get into a hole, we've got to find a way to get back out of it. We all have faith in our kids to do that."

Florida Coach Urban Meyer predicts momentum is worth 14 points in a game like this. That's why the Gators have undergone intense 2-minute drills for the last month of practice.

Just in case.

"We haven't needed to come back because we've been blowing everybody out of the water," Stamper said.